Loving Children of God
by julius uy
Summary: Do you really love your brothers as Jesus loved you?


_Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers._

_Galatians 6:9-10_

Doing good to others is not that hard. However, why is it that at times, we fall into the snares of Satan and we end up doing harm to our brothers? Why is it that we are afraid to show our kindness to others in the company of our friends? I myself am a snare to it. In fact, I am the type of person who adjusts to the type of friend I have at the moment. I am noisy when I am with childish friends. I am quiet with more mature friends. I am religious around faithful friends. Etc. But, when I am with friends who walks astray, Why do I join them doing the same wrong?

Now I realized that it is time for me to move forward. If I say that I am not ashamed of the gospel... then I should live up by those words. I am not ashamed of the gospel and therefore, with all my might and all my heart and all my soul, I will be like Jesus in everything that I do.

In John 5:19, Jesus gave us this verse: "I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.

Is God good to you? Well. One reliable example we may have here is perhaps for you to look at your refrigerator at home. See those foods? How about going to the poorest areas in the world. Do they even have food to eat? How many of our brothers die of hunger everyday? How many of our brothers sleep in the streets? Who have no shelter nor clothing?

One good story we have here is about Lazarus. Check this out, Luke 16:19:31 below

"There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man's table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.

"The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried. In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.'

"But Abraham replied, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.'

"He answered, 'Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father's house, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.'

"Abraham replied, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.'

" 'No, father Abraham,' he said, 'but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.'

"He said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.' "

* * *

_For what profit is it to a man if he gains the world and loses his soul? Or what can a man do in exchange for his soul?_

_Matthew 16:26_

I wrote to you the story of Lazarus so that you may know that most of us here who are blessed by God in this world have rallied ourselves away from God... because Satan blinded us with all these things that we thought we'd never need Christ in our lives. Now, a poor man who had nothing long to have the blessing we had. But we who are blessed, do we give alms to the poor? Do we harden our hearts towards those who needed us most?

I remember once when I was riding a car. A beggar passed by and I asked my friend, "Shall we give him alms?" He said nah. They are young. They had to find ways to earn money. Later on as we drove along the road, we found children with rags cleaning the windshield. Then I asked, "shall we give them alms?" He said nah. "Look at the rug he used to clean my windshield. It's so dirty!!! yuck!"

We don't give alms to the poor because we wanted them to work. Now that they are working, we don't give alms to them because they are dirty.

What do you expect from someone who has nothing??? Buy a brand new cloth, high quality car clearners etc? Do you even know that the definition of the word poor is someone who has almost nothing? Those are the only things they had. Can you expect a baby to work in the office or a milkfish to have the jaws of the shark? By no means! Because that's their limitations are the will of God. That's all that they have. Why expect more when you know they cannot afford what you want from them? Are we not supposed to help the poor?

God's trials on these poor people are far more than the trials he gave us. Why are we so hard-hearted? Why kill your brother when you can bring life to him? Are you this type of person? Are you so much attracted to your worldly wealth that you forgot to share your blessings to those who needs them?

That is why I have written:

_For what profit is it to a man if he gains the world and loses his soul? Or What can a man do in exchange for his soul?_

_Matthew 16:26_

Yes you have your worldly wealth. When your soul departs from your body, you think you'll enjoy those wealth you left here on earth? When we were conceived we brought nothing into this world. Therefore, when we depart from this world, we will also bring nothing from it.

Now we people have one thing that keeps us from the love of God. That thing we call "Excuse"

Perhaps these are the common replies you would make or some others would make in that situation:

-yes yes indeed they are working BUT their rags are dirty. Why would I give alms to them?

-yes yes they are poor BUT they can work to earn money. Why would I give alms to them?

Many times we are counseled by God's workers. We listen to them as they speak the word of truth. Now, as you listen to them you try to digest them. Then you say

Yes. Yes yes yes... BUT!

Once you say the word But, forget all the Yesses. Because that single word: BUT shuts us down... and we start to make excuses why we disown our neighbors. And we'll always do bad things because we make excuses. You heard of the gospel. The army of God speaks to you... yet you harden your hearts. Yes yes yes... BUT!

Is it our will to pull you down? Even if for a single bit that in our writings that we attempt to break you apart from the love of God... as surely as the Lord lives, may he deal with us, be it so severly... if we attempt to break you apart from the love of God.

Are we doing this things to destroy you? Are we not among those who love you and wants you to live a life of loving and giving and sharing and godly? We wouldn't be encouraged to write to you everyday if God did not enable us. Do you think all the information we write everyday comes only from our hand and mind? We will not have the strength to write everything there is to write in here if it wasn't because of God who enabled us. See the number of words we write everyday? Surely, if it wasn't the will of God to give us the strength, we wouldn't have the power to do so. But because God works in us, we are able to write to you everyday. I this things to you so that you may know that we are now walking the path of perfection. Yes we can be perfect. As long as we put ourselves in rest through Christ. With man this is impossible. But with God, ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE! (Matthew 19:26)

Take courage! Do not be afraid. For God will never leave us nor forsake us (Dt. 31:8). Join us in reaching out to the world to share the Gospel.

Grace and peace be with you.

AMEN!


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